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Eyes of the Fleet US Navy E-2 Hawkeye The Northrop Grumman E-2 Hawkeye series has served the US Navy as an all-weather, tactical airborne early warning and control system (AEW&CS) for more than 55 years. As Tom Kaminski reports, recent upgrades will keep it in service for decades to come eveloped in response to a 1956 control aircraft in March 1957. Grumman San Diego on October 19, 1965 headed for requirement for a carrier-based had previously developed the earlier WF-2 Southeast Asia. Production concluded with aircraft that could carry an Airborne Tracer from its TF-1 carrier-on-board the fi nal E-2A delivery in February 1967 and DTactical Data System (ATDS) to delivery aircraft. On October 21, 1960, totalled 59 aircraft. “provide early warning, threat analysis, and the model G-123 fl ew for the fi rst time in Powered by two 4,050shp Allison T56- control of counteraction against air and Bethpage, New York, as the W2F-1. The A-8/8A turboprop engines, the E-2A’s most surface targets”, the Hawkeye continues aerodynamic prototype was followed by a notable feature was a 24ft diameter AN/ to serve as an airborne surveillance and second fully equipped example that fl ew APA-143 rotodome that housed the antenna battle management command and control on April 19, 1961. Known a ectionately as arrays for the General Electric AN/APS-96 (BMC2) platform. Its ability to detect and the ‘Hummer’, due to the distinctive sound radar and the AN/APX-7 identifi cation friend track targets, process and transmit data, and of its twin turboprop engines, the Hawkeye or foe (IFF) system. Rotating at a speed of control engagements also allows the aircraft has been fi elded in four major variants that six rpm, it provided 360° coverage around to be tasked with secondary roles such as comprise the E-2A, E-2B, E-2C and E-2D. the aircraft. The E-2A also featured an air tra c management, search and rescue, It entered operational service with carrier automatic fl ight control system and was communications relay, and drug interdiction. airborne early warning squadron VAW-11 equipped with a CP-588 airborne computer. The US Navy Bureau of Aeronautics under the designation E-2A on January 19, Its ATDS was designed to acquire, transmit selected the Grumman Aircraft Engineering 1964. Its fi rst combat deployment began and exchange information and targeting Corporation to design and build the when VAW-11 Detachment C embarked data with warships equipped with the Naval carrier-based airborne early warning and the USS Kitty Hawk (CVA 63) which left Tactical Data System. 24 AVIATION NEWS OCTOBER 2020 24-31_hawkeyeDC.mfDC.mfDC.mfDC.mf.indd 24 07/09/2020 14:56 and identifi cation of electronic emitters. The design also incorporated a larger vapour cycle radiator on the upper fuselage, aft of the cockpit, used for cooling the avionics. Production E-2C deliveries began on September 23, 1972 and the baseline version entered service with VAW-123 in November 1973, but VAW-113 was the fi rst to deploy aboard the USS Saratoga (CV 60) in September 1974. The E-2C was powered by 4,910shp T56-A-425 engines and carried the AN/APS-120 radar. Developed from the earlier AN/APS-111, it improved detection of aerial targets against sea and land returns. The E-2C retained the E-2B’s Litton L-304 computer but the AN/ASN-92 Carrier Aircraft Inertial Navigation System (CAINS) replaced the earlier AN/ASN-36 INS. Introduced with the 35th E-2C (BuNo 160415) in 1976, the digital AN/ APS-125 Advanced Radar Processing Above: The Hawkeye’s Combat Information Center provides three identical mission System was less vulnerable to jamming system operator positions for the Radar Operator (RO), Combat Information Center and could detect fi ghter-size targets and O cer (CICO) and the Air Control O cer (ACO) US Navy/MCS Kyle D Gahlau cruise missiles at ranges up to 200nm and 125nm respectively. Additionally, it incorporated improved electronic counter- countermeasures (ECCM) capabilities. Beginning in 1987, several early E-2Cs were operated by the US Customs Service and the US Coast Guard, under loan from the US Navy. Each agency initially operated two E-2Cs to support counter narcotics operations, funded under the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986. The Customs aircraft were turned over to the Coast Guard in 1989 and continued in service until October 1991. First installed on aircraft A-79 (BuNo 161346), the AN/APS-138 radar and the Total Radar Aperture Control-A antenna improved the radar’s e ectiveness in detecting small targets, especially over land. Grumman produced 52 aircraft in this confi guration, which was later referred to as Group 0, including 35 to the US Navy and 17 to international customers. The Group I that followed featured Main photo: VAW-116 ‘Sun Kings’ E-2C, BuNo the AN/APS-139 radar. It increased cruise 165649, is one of 27 Hawkeye 2000 variants missile detection range to 160nm and delivered to the US Navy between 2002 and improved surface detection in high sea 2009. US Navy/Lt(jg)Toby Rollenhagen state/clutter and against countermeasures. Group I also introduced the 5,100shp Reliability issues with computer and were sold to international customers. Work T56-A-427 engines and the improved Litton other systems resulted in modifi cations that on the E-2C began in June 1968, when AN/ALR-73 PDS, which was fi rst installed updated 51 E-2As to the E-2B confi guration. Grumman was awarded an $11.9m contract on A-69 (BuNo 161229). First evaluated on First fl own on February 20, 1969 and to develop the AN/APS-111 radar . Based on aircraft A-34 (BuNo 160012) in April 1986, initially deployed with VAW-114 aboard the earlier AN/APS-96, the AN/APS-111 was the -427 delivered a 24% increase in power the Kitty Hawk in November 1970, the designed by General Electric and underwent and reduced fuel consumption by 12%. Just E-2B featured a new Litton L-304 digital testing aboard an E-2A from 1965 to 1967. 18 Group I E-2Cs were produced beginning computer and upgraded avionics. The Two early E-2As became the E-2C with aircraft A-122 (BuNo 163029), and the conversion programme was completed in prototypes and were assigned the variant entered operational service with December 1971. The ‘Bravo’ was phased designations YE-2C and NE-2C. Powered VAW-112 on August 8, 1989. Hawkeye A-123 out of operational fl eet service by 1985 but by 4,860shp Allison T56-A-422 engines, (BuNo 163535) was the fi rst production continued to serve the Naval Reserve until the fi rst prototype fl ew on January 20, 1971. model with the new engines and it served VAW-88 retired its E-2Bs at NAS Miramar, Physical di erences between the E-2C and as a dedicated test asset for its entire career. California, in October 1986. the earlier E-2A/B included a longer, sleeker Group II Hawkeyes retained the nose and fairings on the outboard vertical T56-A-427 engines, but featured 11in E-2 CHARLIE fi ns and aft fuselage that housed antennas colour tactical displays, a more powerful Produced in fi ve sub-variants, the E-2C has for the Litton AN/ALR-59 Passive Detection computer and AN/APS-145 radar. The latter had the largest production run, comprising System (PDS). The system provided 360° system was fi rst tested aboard aircraft A-92 183 aircraft for the US Navy and 36 that passive precision direction fi nding, ranging, (BuNo 161784). In addition to increasing WWW.AVIATIONNEWS.CO.UK 25 24-31_hawkeyeDC.mfDC.mfDC.mfDC.mf.indd 25 07/09/2020 14:57 The prototype Hawkeye first flew on October 21, 1961, under the designation W2F-1. Assigned Bureau Number 148147, it was later modified to become the prototype C-2A carrier on-board delivery (COD) prototype Northrop Grumman radar range by 40% and surveillance space deliveries began in October 2001. It retained open-architecture Raytheon model 940 volume by 96%, the new version could the AN/APS-145 radar but, featured a GPS computer and the ACIS installed COTS simultaneously monitor, track and display receiver, AN/ASN-139 CAINS II navigation tactical workstations, featuring 17in flat- more than 2,000 target tracks. The radar system and improved AN/APX-100 IFF. An panel active-matrix liquid-crystal displays could also locate and track naval targets, UHF SATCOM satellite communication (AMLCDs). Testing of the new computer including large ships, fast patrol craft and set and a Multimission Advanced Tactical began with the first flight from Northrop stationary platforms in most sea states. Terminal provided expanded over-the- Grumman’s production facility and flight The Joint Tactical Information horizon wide-band and narrow-band voice/ test centre at St Augustine, Florida in Distribution System (JTIDS) was also data communications capability. Additionally, January 1997 and concluded that July. fielded on Group II aircraft. Flight-testing the earlier PDS was replaced by the A contract to incorporate the MCU/ACIS of this data link system began in February in four earlier Group II E-2Cs (A-143/146) 1990. Group IIs also gained a wideband/ was issued earlier in September 1996 and narrowband secure voice satellite HAWKEYE CREW the aircraft initially deployed with VAW-117 communication (SATCOM) capability and an The Hawkeye is flown by a crew of five, aboard the USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) in upgraded IFF system.
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